ABSTRACT
This chapter examines theories of metamemory. It presents the difference between cues and targets. The chapter provides an overview of general theories on how metamemory judgments are made—namely, the cue familiarity, accessibility, and competition hypotheses. According to the cue familiarity hypothesis, metamemory judgments are based on the familiarity of the information in a cue. According to the accessibility hypothesis, metamemory judgments are inferential. For the competition hypothesis, metamemory judgments are influenced by the number of memory trace competitors that are involved in retrieval. Target-based sources are especially important in judgments of learning. Although feeling-of-knowing judgments can be reasonably accurate, there is some inaccuracy. The chapter looks at the difference between conscious and unconscious memories as outlined by the remember–know distinction. It also looks at the phenomenology or conscious experience of remembering. Mnemonics are mental or physical devices used to help people remember.
